Bottle, injection blow molding core rod for the bottle and related method

ABSTRACT

A bottle for containing an item, generally a pharmaceutical product, wherein the bottle includes a body having a bottom wall and sidewalls, a neck extending from a top portion of the sidewalls and a thread defined on the neck. The neck defining a mouth of the bottle, an internal surface and an external surface. A neck thickness is defined between the internal surface and the external surface. The thread defines a thread thickness. The thread thickness is substantially the same as the neck thickness.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 63/177,105, filed Apr. 20, 2021 and titled, “Bottle,Injection Blow Molding Core Rod for the Bottle and Related Method,” theentire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Injection blow molding (“IBM”) is a polymeric molding techniquetypically utilized to manufacture small medical, pharmaceutical,cosmetic, and other single serve bottles. The IBM process forms thebottles with the body and neck in a single process, such that the bodyand neck are integrally formed. The IBM process typically involvesinjection molding a preform onto a core pin, opening an initial moldwhile the polymeric injected material is still hot, placing a largermold over the preform, inflating the preform into a desired final shape,cooling the shaped product and removing the product from the core rod.The IBM process is designed for mass production of thousands, hundredsof thousands or more products. Small medical and pharmaceutical bottlesare often manufactured using the IBM process. Efficiency in the processis desirable and the cooling process can be a limiting factor. Thebottles formed by the IBM process often have variable thicknesses intheir final form, such as having a greater thickness at threads in theneck of the bottle. The bottle necks have a smooth internal cylindricalsurface while the threads extend radially outwardly from an outsidesurface of the neck such that the thickness of the bottles in the areaof the threads is greater than other sections of the bottle. The thickerthreads require additional cooling time because the central portion ofthe threads require additional time for cooling. It would be desirableto design, implement and deploy a bottle, IBM molding equipment andmethod that reduces the cooling cycle to reduce cycle times for theproduction of each final bottle.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly stated, the preferred invention is directed to a bottle forcontaining an item, generally a pharmaceutical product, wherein thebottle includes a body having a bottom wall and sidewalls, a neckextending from a top portion of the sidewalls and a thread defined onthe neck. The neck defining a mouth of the bottle, an internal surfaceand an external surface. A neck thickness is defined between theinternal surface and the external surface. The thread defines a threadthickness. The thread thickness is substantially the same as the neckthickness. In the preferred embodiment, the thread thickness and neckthickness are not necessarily identical, but are substantially the same,thereby resulting in substantially the same thread and neck thicknessesthat generally cure at a similar rate and time and resulting in aninternal groove on the neck that facilitates protrusion of the threadsfrom the outer surface of the neck while maintaining substantially thesame thread and neck thickness.

In another aspect, the preferred invention is directed to an injectionblow molding core rod assembly for manufacturing a bottle having a corerod base, a neck forming section connected to the core rod base, and acore rod tip connected to the neck forming section. The neck formingsection having outwardly extending thread forms. The neck formingsection positioned between the core rod base and the core rod tip.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description ofa preferred embodiment of the bottle, injection blow molding core rodfor the bottle and related method of the present device, system andmethod, will be better understood when read in conjunction with theappended drawings. For the purposes of illustrating the preferredbottle, injection blow molding core rod for the bottle and relatedmethod, there is shown in the drawings a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention. It should be understood, however, that theapplication is not limited to the precise arrangements andinstrumentalities shown. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a front elevational, partial cross-sectional view ofa bottle in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a front elevational view of a core rod in accordancewith a preferred embodiment of the present invention used in amanufacturing method to construct the bottle of FIG. 1 ; and

FIG. 2A illustrates a magnified front elevational view of a portion ofthe core rod of FIG. 2 , taken from within circle 2A of FIG. 2 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenienceonly and is not limiting. Unless specifically set forth herein, theterms “a,” “an,” and “the” are not limited to one element but insteadshould be read as meaning “at least one”. The words “right,” “left,”“lower,” and “upper” designate directions in the drawings to whichreference is made. The words “inwardly” or “distally” and “outwardly” or“proximally” refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, thegeometric center of the preferred bottle, injection blow molding corerod for manufacturing the bottle and related parts thereof. Theterminology includes the above-listed words, derivatives thereof andwords of similar import.

It should also be understood that the terms “about,” “approximately,”“generally,” “substantially” and like terms, used herein when referringto a dimension or characteristic of a component of the preferredinvention, indicate that the described dimension/characteristic is not astrict boundary or parameter and does not exclude minor variationstherefrom that are functionally the same or similar, as would beunderstood by one having ordinary skill in the art. At a minimum, suchreferences that include a numerical parameter would include variationsthat, using mathematical and industrial principles are accepted in theart (e.g., rounding, measurement or other systematic errors,manufacturing tolerances, etc.).

Referring to FIGS. 1-2A, a preferred embodiment of the present inventionis directed to a bottle, generally designated 10, for containing anitem, such as a pharmaceutical product. The bottle 10 includes a body 12having a bottom wall 12 a and sidewalls 12 b and a neck 14 extendingfrom a top portion of the sidewalls 12 b. The neck 14 defines a mouth 16of the bottle 10 that opens into a storage cavity inside the body 12.The neck 14 includes an internal surface 14 a and an external surface 14b. The bottle 10 also includes a thread 20 defined on the neck 14. Thethread 20 is associated with or are releasably engageable with internalthreads on a cap (not shown). The cap is selectively mountable to theneck 14 of the bottle 20 using the threads 20 to alternately close andopen the storage cavity.

In the preferred embodiment, the internal surface 14 a includes aninternal groove 18 defined thereon. The internal groove 18 is associatedwith the thread 20 or is positioned on the internal surface 14 aopposite or mirroring the thread 20. The internal groove 18 of thepreferred embodiment has a generally helical shape, although theinternal groove 18 is not so limited. The internal groove 18 may havenearly any size and shape that follows or mirrors the threads 20, as isdescribed in greater detail below.

A neck thickness t_(n) is defined between the internal surface 14 a andthe external surface 14 b of the neck 14 and a thread thickness t_(t) isdefined between the internal surface 14 a in the internal groove 18 andthe external surface 14 b at the thread 20. The neck thickness t_(n) issubstantially the same as the thread thickness t_(t). In prior artbottles, the internal surface does not include the internal groove 18,such that a section of the neck adjacent the thread is thicker thanother portions of the neck. As a result of constructing the neck 14 withsubstantially the same neck and thread thicknesses t_(n), t_(t), theneck 14 cures and cools at substantially the same rate in both the areaof the threads 20 and the remainder of the neck 14. This substantiallythe same or equivalent neck and thread thickness t_(n), t_(t) requiresapproximately the same amount of time to cool, instead of the thickerthreaded sections of the prior art necks requiring additional time tocure and cool. Processing time with the substantially equivalent neckand thread thickness t_(n), t_(t), is therefore realized to improve theefficiency of the manufacturing process of the preferred bottle 10.

The thread thickness t_(t) of the preferred bottle 10 is substantiallyequivalent to the neck thickness t_(n) for at least the above-describedreasons. In the preferred embodiment, the thread thickness t_(t) and theneck thickness t_(n) define a thickness ratio comprised of the threadthickness t_(t) divided by the neck thickness t_(n). The thickness ratiois preferably less than two, more preferably less than or equal to oneand three-quarters, one and one-half, or one and one-quarter and furtherpreferably approximately one. The thickness ratio is not specificallylimited to these indicated ratios and may include alternative ratiosdepending on designer preferences, thread type, bottle type, structuralintegrity considerations and additional design factors. As anon-limiting example, the neck thickness t_(n) may be approximately oneand twenty-two hundredths millimeters (1.22 mm) and the thread thicknesst_(t) may be approximately two and sixteen hundredths millimeters (2.16mm), resulting in a thickness ratio of one and seventy-seven hundredths(1.77).

In the preferred embodiment, the neck 14 defines an outside neckdiameter D_(n) and the body 12 defines an outside body diameter Db. Theoutside body diameter Db of the preferred embodiment is greater than theoutside neck diameter D_(n), such that the storage cavity is relativelylarge compared to the volume within the neck 14. The neck 14 of thepreferred embodiment defines a neck height H_(n) and the body 12 definesa body height H_(b). The body height H_(n) is greater than the neckheight H_(b), such that the volume of the storage cavity is larger thanthe volume of the neck void. The body height H_(n) is not limited tobeing greater than the neck height H_(b) and the outside body diameterDb is not limited to being greater than the outside neck diameter D_(n),but the bottle 10 is typically configured in this manner to maximizestorage volume and limit the size of the mouth 16 of the bottle 10 toretain the contents of the bottle 10, which may be comprised of apharmaceutical product. The neck height H_(b) may, however, be greaterthan the body height H_(n) and the outside neck diameter D_(n) may begreater than the outside body diameter D_(b) without significantlyimpacting the performance and use of the preferred bottle 10.

The thread thickness t_(t) and the neck thickness t_(n) of the preferredbottle 10 are approximately one to three millimeters (1-3 mm) but arenot so limited and may be smaller or larger depending on designerpreferences, expected loading, application preferences and other factorsrelated to the preferred bottle 10. The thread thickness t_(t) and theneck thickness t_(n) may have nearly any dimension as long as thedimension permits functioning of the preferred bottle for its desiredapplication, is able to withstand the normal operating conditions ofbottle 10 and take on the preferred size and shape of the bottle 10.

The threads 20 of the preferred bottle 10 are comprised of a modifiedbuttress shape but are not so limited. The threads 20 may take on nearlyany thread type or shape that is able to be formed on the neck 14, carrythe loads of the bottle 10, releasably attach the cap to the neck 14 andwithstand the normal operating conditions of the bottle 10. The threads20 may be comprised of alternative types, such as sharp V, unified,Whitworth, modified square, square, ACME, B&S Worm, knuckle, Dardeletand related types of threads 20. Each of these threads 20 are preferablydesigned and configured such that the internal groove 18 is formed inassociation with the threads 20 such that the thread thickness t_(t) issubstantially the same as the neck thickness t_(n).

The preferred bottle 10 also includes a bead or support ledge 23positioned on the neck 14 or between the neck 14 and the body 12 and abottle shoulder 22 positioned between the bead or support ledge 23 andthe body 12. The bead or support ledge 20 and the shoulder provides atransition between the neck 14 and the body 12. The bead or supportledge 23 preferably includes an internal ledge groove 19 similar to theinternal groove 18 of the threads 20, thereby resulting in a relativelyconsistent thickness of the neck 14 at the bead or support ledge 23. Theinternal ledge groove 19 preferably has a cylindrical shape that mirrorsor follows the shape and size of the support ledge 23. The internalledge groove 19 of the support ledge 23 facilitates relatively even andconsistent curing of the bottle 10 near the bead or support ledge 23.The support ledge 23 is not limited to inclusion of the internal ledgegroove 19 and the internal surface 14 a may be substantially continuousadjacent the support ledge 23 without the internal ledge groove 19 atthe internal surface 14 a adjacent the support ledge 23 withoutsignificantly impacting the manufacturing or function of the bottle 10.The bottle 10 is not limited to inclusion of the bottle shoulder 22 andthe bead or support ledge 23 and may be constructed without the bottleshoulder 22 and the bead or support ledge 23 without significantlyimpacting the design, configuration and operation of the bottle 10.

A ledge thickness t₁ is defined between the internal surface 14 a in theinternal ledge groove 19 and the external surface 14 b at the supportledge 23. The neck thickness t_(n) is substantially the same as theledge thickness t₁. As a result of constructing the neck 14 withsubstantially the same neck and ledge thicknesses t_(n), t₁, the neck 14cures and cools at substantially the same rate in both the area of thesupport ledge 23 and the remainder of the neck 14. This substantiallythe same or equivalent neck and ledge thickness t_(n), t₁ requiresapproximately the same amount of time to cool, instead of the thickerthreaded sections and support ledge sections of the prior art necksrequiring additional time to cure and cool. Processing time with thesubstantially equivalent neck and ledge thickness t_(n), t₁, istherefore realized to improve the efficiency of the manufacturingprocess of the preferred bottle 10.

The ledge thickness t₁ of the preferred bottle 10 is substantiallyequivalent to the neck thickness t_(n) for at least the above-describedreasons. In the preferred embodiment, the ledge thickness t₁ and theneck thickness t_(n) define a ledge thickness ratio comprised of theledge thickness t₁ divided by the neck thickness t_(n). The ledgethickness ratio is preferably less than two, more preferably less thanor equal to one and three-quarters, one and one-half, or one andone-quarter and further preferably approximately one. The neck, threadand ledge thicknesses t_(n), t_(t), t₁ are each substantially the sameor equivalent, as described herein, such that the areas of the neck 14require approximately the same amount of time to cool, instead of thethicker threaded sections and support ledge sections of the prior artnecks requiring additional time to cure and cool. The ledge thicknessratio is not specifically limited to these indicated ratios and mayinclude alternative ratios depending on designer preferences, ledgetype, bottle type, structural integrity considerations and additionaldesign factors. Processing time with the substantially equivalent neck,thread and ledge thickness t_(n), t_(t), t₁, is therefore realized toimprove the efficiency of the manufacturing process of the preferredbottle 10.

The bottle 10 of the preferred embodiment is constructed utilizing IBMwith an injection blow molding core rod assembly 30, although the systemis not limited to blow molding and may be comprised of other forms ofinjection molding. The injection blow molding core rod assembly 30includes a core rod base 32, a neck forming section 34 connected to thecore rod base 32 and a core rod tip 36 connected to the neck formingsection 34. The neck forming section 34 has outwardly extending threadforms 34 a that extend radially outwardly from the neck forming section34. The neck forming section 34 is positioned between the core rod base32 and the core rod tip 36 such that the neck forming section 34 formsand defines the threads 20 of the preferred bottle 10 with the internalgroove 18 to facilitate relatively rapid cooling and manufacture of thebottle 10. The neck forming section 34 also preferably includes a raisedring 35 that defines the internal ledge groove 19, which is associatedwith the support ledge 23. The raised ring 35 has a generallycylindrical shape and forms the internal ledge groove 19 that also has arelatively cylindrical shape on the neck 14. The bottle 10 is notlimited to including the raised ring 35 and the internal ledge groove 19and may be designed and configured without the raised ring 35, mayinclude the raised ring 35 without the internal ledge groove 19 or maybe otherwise designed and configured with differently shaped and sizedraised rings 35 and internal ledge grooves 19 without significantlyimpacting the operation and function of the bottle 10.

The outwardly extending thread forms 34 a have a generally helical shapein the preferred embodiment but are not so limited and may havealternative shapes depending on the desired threads 20 that are formedon the neck 14. The neck forming section 34 preferably defines theinternal neck diameter D_(n), as well as the internal grooves 18 on theneck 14. The outwardly extending thread forms 34 a extend outwardlyrelative to the internal neck diameter D_(n) to define the threads 20.The core rod base 32 of the preferred embodiment defines a base diameterD_(x). The base diameter D_(x) is preferably greater than the internalneck diameter D_(n). The core rod tip 36 may taper from a proximal endthat is attached to the neck forming section 34 toward a distal end butis not so limited and may not include a taper or may include alternativeshapes based on designer preferences and specific alternative designs.The core rod tip 36 is not necessarily a separate component from theneck forming section 34 and may be integrally formed with the neckforming section 34 or alternatively, may be split into separatecomponents that are engaged together.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 2A, a partial view of the core rod assembly 30is shown that is used in the IBM process of the preferred embodiment. InFIG. 2A, the profile with the outwardly extending thread forms 34 a areadded to define the internal groove 18. The thread forms 34 a aremachined on the core rod assemblies 30 in the preferred helical patternand are positioned to be inside the area or adjacent to the threads 20that are formed on the external surface 14 b of the blown bottle 10.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the finished molded bottle 10 is shown with theinternal grooves 18 and the threads 20. The groove 18 on the internalsurface 14 a of the neck 14 is created by this newly designed outwardlyextending thread form 34 a on the core rod assembly 30. The groove 18substantially defines a female thread form defined on the internalsurface 14 a of the neck 14 and the female thread form coincides withthe male threads 20 formed on the external surface 14 b of the neck 14.The external mold portion on the neck forming section 34 of thepreferred core rod assembly 30 forms the internal groove 18 of thebottle 10 during the injection blow molding process.

A benefit of using the preferred core rod assembly 30 to mold thebottles 10 is that it results in the wall thickness, including the neckthickness t_(n) and the thread thickness t_(t) of the bottle 10, to bemore uniform throughout the length or height of the neck 14. In priorart bottles, a thicker amount of plastic material is defined at thethread on the bottle between the external surface of the threads and theinternal surface of the neck. Because cycle time is directly related tothe thickness of the plastic that you are trying to mold, this newdesign of the preferred bottle 10 and the core rod assembly 30 allow adecrease in cycle times that are necessary to manufacture the preferredbottles 10.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could bemade to the embodiment described above without departing from the broadinventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that thisinvention is not limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but itis intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of thepresent invention as defined by the present description.

1-13. (canceled)
 14. An injection blow molding core rod assembly formanufacturing a bottle, the core rod assembly comprising: a core rodbase; a neck forming section connected to the core rod base, the neckforming section having outwardly extending thread forms; and a core rodtip attached to the neck forming section, the neck forming sectionpositioned between the core rod base and the core rod tip.
 15. The corerod assembly of claim 14, wherein the outwardly extending thread formshave a generally helical shape.
 16. The core rod assembly of claim 14,wherein the neck forming section defines an internal neck diameter, theoutwardly extending thread forms extending outwardly relative to theinternal neck diameter.
 17. The core rod assembly of claim 14, whereinthe core rod base defines a base diameter and the neck forming sectiondefines an internal neck diameter, the base diameter being greater thanthe internal neck diameter.
 18. The core rod assembly of claim 14,wherein the core rod tip tapers from a proximal end toward a distal end,the proximal end connected to the neck forming section.
 19. The core rodassembly of claim 14, wherein the core rod tip is integrally formed withthe neck forming section.
 20. The core rod assembly of claim 14, whereinthe core rod tip is mechanically connected to the neck forming section.